Monday, 11 August 2008

Member Care and the Body of Christ

Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis datur.

Luke 22:19

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A few months ago I had an eight hour layover at the Madrid Barajas Airport. Rather than simply waiting for my next flight, I jumped on the metro and headed for El Prado, one of the finest museums for European art from the 12th--19th centuries. As I strolled through the ornate, expansive halls, I was particualrly struck by the many images of Jesus Christ among the over 1,300 paintings on display.

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The painting below is one of my favourites and depicts the Last Supper. It was painted around 1560 by the Spainard Juan de Juanes. As I look at it again now, I am thinking about the Body of Christ, the central theme of this painting. It is beautiful!

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Yet I am wondering...wondering why those who say they are disciples of Jesus continue to break His body through their lies, stealing, and gross mistreatment of others. These are sad stories. His dear Body--of which the mission and the member care community are members--continues to be broken. What a mixture of the mostly laudable and the sometimes loathful!

--”What are those wounds between your arms?”--“Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.”Zechariah 13:6

Reflection and Discussion

The Body of Christ is amazingly beautiful. People through the ages, like the apostles depicted in the above painting, are in awe of it. One of the apostles however appears to be indifferent at best, and would soon further betray the Body. Think of some ways to apply this comment--and this painting--to the mission and member care communities.

Welcome to CORE Member Care

We work with international colleagues on strategic projects that support humanitarian, mission ,and development workers and their organisations.

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We post core materials thatreflect some of the current cutting edges of good practice in the member care field. The materials are intentionally chosen to help us think broadly, look into our own hearts, explore member care in light of current world events, and consider additional ways to ethically provide resources to the international humanitarian and mission sectors.*We seek to integrate the educational values of knowledge, virtue, and duty (eruditio, probitas, and officium) in all that we do.*The materials on this weblog are chosen to encourage us as learners-practitioners who are committed to cross cultures, disciplines, and sectors for mutual learning and good practice.*****